Winter break is fast approaching and the holiday spirit is floating all around us. So grab yourself a fuzzy blanket, a warm cup of hot cocoa, and get ready for the official Concept Schools’ guide to making the best of your winter break.

Students:

1. Get Organized

Whether it’s winter break reading or the amount of fun you’re going to have this winter break, it might help to keep a planner to keep your break organized. High schoolers will especially benefit from this: make sure you have time for both homework and relaxation. The older you get the more you’ll learn that scheduling fun time is just as important as scheduling work time.

2. Make like Anna and Elsa from Frozen and build that snowman

You might not get a snowman that likes warm hugs, but we bet you could make some stellar creations with the snow in your backyard. Check out this fun list of 15 delightful snow projects to see what else you can do in the snow.

3. Set your new year’s goals

New Year’s resolutions are a great way to kick of the year. When you have a few extra minutes over winter break, start thinking about what you want to accomplish in the new year.

Parents:

1. Relax

Winter break might be busy to start as you’re rushing around to family functions and holiday events, but try to find some time to relax while you have it. Give the kids a snow project to do (like we talked about above), load up your favorite Netflix show, and let yourself have some me time.

2. Do fun activities you don’t normally have time for

With the whole family at home for a couple weeks, take the opportunity to do something fun together. What is something you love doing but don’t usually have time for? Maybe it’s a game night in or a movie night out; whatever you do, make sure you do it with the people you love.

3. Teach the kids the true meaning of the holidays

Go through the kitchen, the coat closet, and the kid’s rooms and box up canned goods, gently used clothes, and toys. Once you’ve got everything in boxes or bags, take the kids to a local church, donation drop, or food pantry to make a donation. On the way home, have a family chat about why it’s important to give back to people in need.

Teachers:

1. Read some educational blogs

Take some time this winter break to recharge and get inspired again. Catch up on your favorite bloggers or hop over to The Art of Teaching, a blog series on Medium that features guest writers to share their experiences in the classroom. We also really recommend checking out this post for all sorts of resources this winter break.

2. Do something fun

With the rush of the school day on pause, take some time to do something fun with your friends or family! Take this time off to relax and recharge.

3. Watch some educational YouTubers

YouTube is full of educational YouTubers, ranging from science and math to crash courses in everything from film history to media literacy. Have some fun to learn something new or finding new resources to engage your students in the New Year.